Shortlisted for YA Book Prize 2017 | One of our Books of the Year 2016 | Longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2016 | May 2016 Book of the Month An innovative, ambitious page-turner in which the inimitable Malorie Blackman has entwined two of her great passions - Shakespeare's Othello and science fiction - to create a thrilling outer-space-set epic that tingles with romance, danger, distrust and jealousy.
Olivia (Vee) and her brother Aidan are alone in space and heading home to earth, the only survivors of a virus that annihilated the rest of the crew, including their family. Then brave, headstrong Vee risks her life to rescue the survivors of a Mazon attack, among them Nathan, with whom she falls in love, deeply, madly and with tempestuous consequences.
This energetic riff on one of the bard's best works will also be relished by readers who don’t think they’re into Shakespeare, and Blackman also has a gift for making science fiction appeal to those who “don’t do” the genre. It takes an exceptional writer to pull off these kinds of feats, and Blackman has done so with wit, style and a slick sense of drama. ~ Joanne Owen
Please note due to the content of this book we are recommending it for YA readers only.
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Judge Kate Saunders said: “The story drags you along like a mighty engine and had to force myself not to turn the pages too fast. The suspense is brilliant”.
What happens when love brings loss? When love brings lies? When love brings hate? Olivia and her twin brother Aidan are heading alone back to Earth following the virus that wiped out the rest of their crew, and their family, in its entirety.
Nathan is part of a community heading in the opposite direction. But on their journey, Nathan’s ship is attacked and most of the community killed. Only a few survive.
Their lives unexpectedly collided, Nathan and Olivia are instantly attracted to each other, deeply, head-over-heels – like nothing they have ever experienced. But not everyone is pleased. Surrounded by rumours, deception, even murder, is it possible to live out a happy ever after . . . ?
Drawing on Othello for inspiration, Chasing the Stars parallels with this tragic Shakespeare play throughout. Published in the month of Shakespeare's birth and death, it is the perfect tribute to the great Bard, on the 400-year anniversary of his death.
“I love Shakespeare’s plays and his themes and ‘Othello’ is one of my favourites,” Blackman said. “I wanted to write about jealousy, but I wanted my Othello to be a black teenage girl.”
Noughts & Crosses: 'This must be the most original book I've ever read' - Benjamin Zephaniah
Boys Don't Cry: 'Her writing at its best, creating characters and a story which, once read, will not easily go away' - Nick Tucker, Independent
Noble Conflict: 'Blackman is a terrific storyteller w hose strongly drawn characters thrill young readers and draw them into dilemmas about love, loyalty, truth and violence' - Sunday Times
Author
About Malorie Blackman
A World Book Day Author 2019| Children's Laureate 2013-2015
Malorie Blackman has written over sixty books for children and young adults. Many of her books have also been adapted for stage and television, including a BAFTA-award-winning BBC production of Pig-Heart Boy and a Pilot Theatre stage adaptation by Sabrina Mahfouz of Noughts & Crosses. There is also a major BBC production of Noughts & Crosses, with Roc Nation (JayZ's entertainment company) curating and releasing the soundtrack as executive music producer.
In 2008 Malorie received an OBE for her services to children's literature, and between 2013 and 2015 she was the Children's Laureate. Most recently, Malorie wrote for the Doctor Who series on BBC One, and the fifth novel in her Noughts & Crosses series, Crossfire, is published by Penguin Random House Children's.
